Video cameras are used to record and transmit images, such as live sporting events. Live images are transmitted from traditional video cameras which are fixed, relative to the scene they are recording and transmitting, at certain camera angles. Distinct from an image captured from a single camera angle are panoramic images. Panoramic images are typically generated using a number of camera angles. To date, there has been no known live transmission or reception of panoramic images. The display of panoramic images has been limited to non-live video films, such as those seen at various science and historical museums throughout the United States. These non-live, panoramic films have been created using a number of existing techniques. The first technique involves recording images on a film moving in one direction while a camera moves in an opposite direction. The second technique involves rotating a camera through the angles 0 to 360 degrees in a single plane, all the while taking xe2x80x9cstillxe2x80x9d images at each angle. These are just two examples. Other techniques exist, but it would be impractical to discuss each and every one of them in a few short paragraphs. In every case, however, existing techniques either require the movement of a camera or the movement of the film/storage mechanism in order to create and store panoramic images. None of these existing techniques involve the display of live, 3-D panoramic images.
In addition, none of the existing techniques involve the display of live, 3-D xe2x80x9cparallaxxe2x80x9d images. Parallax images are created by the human visual system. To accurately reproduce images this parallax effect must be taken into account.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide for devices and methods for displaying live, 3-D parallax and panoramic images over a substantially 360xc2x0xc3x97360xc2x0 range of angles.
It is another object of the present invention to provide devices and methods for displaying a plurality of live parallax and panoramic images from more than one viewpoint,
It is yet a further object of the present invention to generate novel video signals from live 3-D panoramic images.
Other objectives, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In accordance with the present invention there are provided methods, systems and devices for generating video signals which can be used to display live, 3-D parallax and panoramic images.
One such device comprises a novel spherical lens and spherical charge-coupled device for detecting live, 3-D images over a 360xc2x0xc3x97360xc2x0 range of angles. The detected images are then broken up into positioning and image data. This data is swept by novel positioning and image sweep generators. The output of the sweep generators is an unformatted video signal.
The unformatted video signal is then formatted to create a novel, composite video signal. The composite video signal is then used to display live, 3-D parallax and panoramic images.